How to Cook in a Portable Roasting Oven

Portable roasting ovens have been around for years; they were originally marketed in rural Wisconsin to capitalize on recently established electric service in the 1930s. Unlike your oven, these ovens can cook like a slow cooker or warm like a buffet serving dish. They make great auxiliary ovens for turkeys, roasts and other holiday fare. If you have inherited one or just bought or received one as a gift, rediscover the convenience and economy of these longstanding appliances.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Portable roaster oven
• Roasting racks
• Baking pans
• Oven mitts
• Large sink
• Nylon pot scrubbers

1. Preheat your roaster oven. Set it about 25 degrees higher than the cooking temperature---the minute you pick up the lid, the temperature will drop. Set the rack in the pan if your food will be in pans.

2. Prepare food to go into the oven according to recipe directions. Dress and tie poultry and set it onto the baking rack. No special adaptations are needed for cooking in a roaster oven. Never put food directly on the roaster liner---use a rack or pans set on the rack.

3. Put the roasting rack or dishes on the roasting rack in the oven and cover immediately. After a minute or two, when the oven has reheated, lower the temperature to what is specified in your recipe. Leave the top until your recipe calls for you to check for doneness.

4. Check for doneness with a toothpick for baked goods or a "rapid-read" meat thermometer. The portable roaster oven may take a bit longer to heat and bake than a conventional oven because its access door is on top---and heat rises. Try to avoid checking too frequently; it will lengthen cooking time.

5. Turn the oven off when the food is finished and remove the food. Get a head start on cleaning the roaster pan by filling it about one-third of the way with soapy water and turning the heat on low or 300 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes while dinner is served. Turn the heat off and let it cool during dinner; it will be easier to clean.

Tips & Warnings

• Clean your roaster oven thoroughly before use to remove manufacturing oils if new, and household dust and grime if the oven has been sitting for a while. Wash the pan, racks and lid with hot soapy water and rinse well.
• The surfaces in the oven can get very hot and will heat anything near them. Oil the bottom and sides of the roaster oven or put water in the bottom to keep food from sticking. Do not use cooking spray---it will make a sticky film that will need serious scrubbing to get off.
• Some roasters come with two-piece or adjustable racks. Use these racks for smaller poultry or dishes just as you would the center rack in your conventional oven.
• To save clean-up on the large liner pan, try to do roasts and poultry in aluminum roasting pans.
• Always wear oven gloves when handling roaster lids and keep your face---and nosy "supervisors"---away from the roaster when you open it. The steam that will rise from the cooking food can burn.
• Avoid the temptation to put a 25-pound turkey in a 20-pound oven. Make sure that your bird or roast has a few inches "head room" above it when it sits in the roaster. If it is too big, it will not finish or brown nicely on top and the bottom will scorch.
• Do not cover casseroles or roasts and poultry in roasting pans. The roasting oven functions as efficiently as a slow cooker in keeping moisture and juices in.

References

• Roaster Oven History

Resources

• Roaster Oven Recipes
• Nesco Recipes
• Hamilton Beach Recipes

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